PFP Goes To The Fair!

For those of you “not from around here,” the Wilson County Fair is the best fair in the world. I might be a little biased, but that statement’s not far from the truth. Half a million people come from all over to our little hometown, Lebanon, TN (pop. 28,608), to enjoy the festivities. It’s always hot. It’s always muggy. It’s always crowded. The traffic is always terrible. But despite all of that, we can’t stay away, and this year we invited the whole PFP team and their families to enjoy it too!

My kids love the rides – the Ferris wheel, the “Ring of Fire,” the Gravitron, the swings, the carousels, the bungee jumpers – you get the idea. I could go to the fair and do nothing but eat – funnel cakes, chicken on a stick, walkin’ tacos, fried Oreos, turkey legs, roasted corn, fried Twinkies – the list goes on and on. Many people come for the exhibits – vegetables, pigs, chickens, bunnies, cows, artwork, photography, jellies, cakes, pies, quilting – all hoping for a blue ribbon. Still others hold out for the tractor pull, the lawnmower races, the demolition derby, the car giveaway, or the “Fairest of the Fair” pageant. Personally, my favorite activity is just the people watching. I’ve already reserved www.peopleofthewilsoncountyfair.com so don’t get any ideas…

This year, rather than having our usual company picnic at the community park, we celebrated at the fair – admission tickets, “all you can ride” passes, catered food (including our own funnel cake bar!), t-shirts, hats and service awards. We had a great turnout (nearly 100 people) and everyone had a great time (or so I’m told). It’s always nice to hang out with the PFP crew outside of the plant, but it’s even better to get a chance to spend some time with everyone’s families. That’s really why we’re here after all. We don’t bust our tail at work every day just because we love making die cuts (although we do love making die cuts). We ultimately all come to work every day to provide for our families. We get that. It’s important to us, and I think that’s a big part of why we don’t have much turnover here.

In fact, while we were at the fair we recognized 4 people who have been with us since we started this crazy journey 15 years ago – Angie Oakley, Benny Fields, Bob Hodge, and John Lynn. This crew has seen it all, put up with a lot, and played a large part in making this place a success. It’s been said that “a calm sea never made a skilled sailor.” Let me assure you that these four are some of the best sailors around.